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 Playing in pouring rain, the Bengals staged a fourth-quarter
recovery after blowing a 13-point lead to earn a fourth straight
trip to the post-season.
"This one was big. We knew what we were up against... at home,
playing on Monday Night in prime time," Bengals quarterback Andy
Dalton told reporters.
"Our defense played great, especially when it counted."
Dre Kirkpatrick caught two interceptions for Cincinnati, who also
enjoyed a big day on kick returns. The Bengals (10-4-1) can now seal
the AFC North Division with a season-finale win against Pittsburgh
next week.
Denver (11-4), who had already cinched the AFC West, was hoping to
maintain their push to enter the playoffs as the conference top seed
but the loss conceded the number one spot to the New England
Patriots.
 Manning threw for 311 yards but was unable to connect with his wide
receivers when it mattered most.
"I had four interceptions, you're not going to beat very many good
football teams (that way)," Manning said. "We have to find a way to
learn from this and play better next week."
EARLY BLOW
In a wild affair, the Broncos woke up in the second half, with
Manning tossing two third-quarter touchdowns to give the visitors a
28-27 edge. Brandon Tate lifted the Bengals midway through the
fourth with a 49-yard punt return that helped them move back in
front on Mike Nugent's 23-yard field goal.
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The Cincinnati defense struck the decisive blow in the final minutes
as Kirkpatrick intercepted Manning and returned it 30 yards to help
push the Bengals nine points ahead of a demoralized Denver team.
Early on, it was the Cincinnati running game that led the way on a
night where the Bengals lost standout wide receiver A.J. Green to an
arm injury in the first quarter.
Jeremy Hill broke free for an 85-yard touchdown run in the first
quarter, finishing with 147 yards on the night, and fellow back
Giovani Bernard caught a 22-yard TD in the third to give the home
side a 27-14 advantage.
The win was a big relief for the Bengals, who have a reputation for
failing in big games and have not won in the playoffs since 1990.
"We understand that it was the elephant in the room; we heard it all
week," Hill said. "We knew tonight with the country watching that we
had to show people we're serious."
(Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)
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